Based on anecdotal evidence, I have the impression that the nature of financial aid awards to new PhD students varies quite dramatically from school to school. I thought it might be useful, both for departments and students, to collect these anecdotes in one place. Two kinds of posts are welcome here. Faculty, who must sign their name, can post the financial aid awards in their department, e.g.:
University of [insert name] offers each year two Fellowships (three years, no teaching, 18K/year plus 3K summer money, full tuition remission), and 5-7 TAships (15K per year, some summer teaching available, 80% tuition remission, typically involves marking or leading discussion with 40 students per term). Support is available for up to seven years; those on Fellowship are eligible for TAships after Fellowship support runs out.
Alternatively, students (who must post a real e-mail, it won't appear) can post the financial aid awards they have received from particular programs, e.g.:
[insert name] University offered me a University Fellowship, five years of guaranteed support of 22K per year, plus summer support (5K) for three summers; full tuition remission; must teach in the 2nd and 4th years. No support guaranteed thereafter.
